Another visit to this formosa oolong. I think I got it right this time. Of course, I actually listened and followed the directions and advice from Red Blossom.
These leaves are very loose, so my regular way of measuring by the tablespoon did not work so well the first time I brewed this tea about a week ago. This time I tried using the kitchen scale, which is not at all that accurate, but at least I can get a better idea of how much these sparse leaves weigh. It turned out to be about 4 heaping tablespoons, nearly twice as much as the first brew.
So, with the correct amount of leaves, here we go!
4.5 tablespoons of leaves in 32 ounces of boiling water in my Bodum Assam teapot with 2:30 steeping time gave me a nice, dark reddish brown colored liquor, clear but not transparent. Like a Newcastle Brown Ale, for yet another beer reference.
The aroma is sweet and malty, and pretty smooth. This tea has an interesting mouthfeel, as it is smooth and almost creamy, but still dry and tart without entering on the bitter side.
That first taste is a wonderful thing. The thick, malty taste is wonderfully smooth and creamy. Red Blossom mentions a honey taste, I would probably get more of that with a slightly shorter steep time, but I do notice it a tiny bit.
This is a great, solid black tea, although the next brew I will cut down the steep time to see if I can get more of the sweet honey taste and less of the malty tartness.
Great black tea.
-E
